The Arab poet and writer Abu l'Ala al-Ma'arri (973-1058) wrote the "Epistle on Forgiveness," nearly 300 years before Dante's "Divine Comedy." In this work, he vividly depicts the Islamic paradise and hell, often with imaginative wit and profound humor. The "Epistle" is al-Ma'arri's response to a letter from a literati in Aleppo, Ibn al-Qarih. In the first part of the work, the poet imagines that his addressee has died, been resurrected, and taken to paradise. There, Ibn al-Qarih discusses with well-known poets whom God has "forgiven" (hence the title of the work) and shares his adventurous experiences after the Day of Resurrection. He hosts feasts and drinking parties, encounters heavenly maidens who grow on fruits, and meets a spirit that has come to faith.